Tile.



' J. R. MILLER & U. S. HUGGINS.

M. M. MILLER, ADMINISTRATRIX OI J. R. MILLER, DEOD.

TILE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 1907.

927,869, Patented July 13, 1909.

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JOSEPH R. MILLER, 01 MORGANTOWN, AND ULYSSES S. HUGGINS, OF WESTON, ,WEST VIR- GINIA; MARGARET M. MILLER ADMINISTRATRIX 0F SAID JOSEPH R. MILLER, DECEASED.

TILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1909.

Application filed August 29, 1907. Serial No. 390,673.

To all evhom it may concern. i

Be it known that we, JOSEPH R. MILLER and ULYSSES S. Hucsins, both citizens of the United States, residingylespectively, at Morgantown, county of, Monongalia, State of West Virginia, and Weston, in the county,

of Lewis and State of lVest Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tiles, of which the following is a specification.,

This invention relatesto tiles formed of glass or other material, and the object thereof is to provide a tile wherein the body strength is preserved by avoiding areduction of the predetermined thickness of the said bodyat any point and wherein fastenmg means are provided on the back of such contour as to permit a ready application and allow of contraction and expansion of the cement or otherholdiag medium in which the tile is set so as to prevent breaking off or fracturing the fastening means or projections or cracking the body portion of the tile during expansion and contraction of the cement or other holdingmaterial and thereby rendering the tile more durable and efficient as well as economical in service.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the severalparts which will be more fully hereinafter specified.

The drawing illustrates a perspective view of a tile embodying the features of the invention.

The numeral 1 designates the body of the tile which is solid or is unbroken at any point by indentations, depressions or reduction of a predetermined thickness, or, in other words, the body of the tile is preserved in solid form as to length, breadth and thickness uniformly throughout its complete structure. The outer or front face of the tile is preferably fiat, though it may be embellished with designs Without detracting from its normal thickness after the manner of tile formation well known in the art. The rear or inner face of the tile is formed at each side throughout the full length thereof with fiat edges 4. Extending com letely from end to end of the rear or inner ace of the tile is a series of longitudinal clenchers or key projections 5 having a particular form to arrive at certain advantageous results in application and service and which will now be fully explained.

The clenchers or key projections 5 are equal distances apart between the inner terminals of the flat edges 4 and all taper in curved lines from their bases to their free edges, and the latter edges are uniformly the same distance from the adjacentface of the tile. Eachqclencher or key projection 5 hasa concave face Grand a longer convex face 7, giving to each clencher an approximately semi-crescent contour in cross-section. Between the concave short face 6 of the one clencher and the longer convex face 7 of the adjacent clencher throughout the whole series of the, latter, pockets 8 are formed for the cement or other plastic material in which the tile is set. The free reduced edgesof the elenchers or key projections 5 overhang the pockets and the concave face of each clencher practically provides for each pocket a longitudinally grooved or undercut wall to facilitate the secure application of the tile and also to remove any tendency to fracture or breakage of the several clenchers or projections by the expansion and contraction of the cement or other plastic holding material, injury to the clenchcrs, or rojections from expansion or contraction of the cement or analogousmaterial bein avoided by the ease-off provided by the di 'erentiation in the curve of the walls of the several pockets in .contradistinction to a resistance that would be set up were the Walls strai ht or of uniform len th. The free edges of the clenchers or key projections by reason of their overhanging disposition prevent said edges from becoming broken or chipped in view of the factthat they are not prominently exposed for contact with adjacent objects, but on the the said clenchers or projections. A further advantage of the form of cleneher or key projection as just explained is that in ap lying the tile to the cement or other ho ing material, the latter will be more uniformly drawn or dragged into the pockets 8 and full occupy the latter by the concave walls or aces 6 of the said clenchersor projections when a slight downward pressure is applied to the upper edge of the tile after the latter has been placed in position for application in relation to the cement or other securing material, the several concave walls acting as hangers and acting also similar to hooks which will obstruct loosening of the tile in view of the fact that portions of the cement or plastic material in which the tile is set will fill in under the overhanging or beak-like free edges of the other holding materialused will fill in to such extent as to produce a reliable retention of the tile in place, no matter to what'maximum extent the cement or holding material may contract and which would not be the case if the walls of the pockets were inclined in straight planes converging toward the body of the tile, as under the latter structural conditions the cement or holding material would draw away from the contracted space between the walls and there would be no resistance to loose movement or loosening of the tile. The sharp free edge of each clencher or key projection 5 is also of importance in the effective application of the tile as compared to tiles having projections with blunt edges, because the sharp edges of the clenchers or projections 5 will penetrate and press apart the cement or other plastic holdlng material and insure a filling in of the pockets 8,-whereas tiles having projections or clenchers with blunt edges will press the cement or plastic material away from the pockets rather than into the latter.

What is claimed is:

1. A tile comprising arectangular body of equal thickness throughout its entire area and having its inner face provided with a plurality of key projections extending longitudinally thereof fully from end to end, each of the key projections having opposing c011- cave and convex faces, the convex faces being longer than the concave faces and all of the projections being reduced gradually from a maximum base formation to the free ends to form sharp edges or beaks which overhang the several pockets provided between the projections, the portions ofthe free ends of the key projections immediately in advance of the sharp edges presenting convex surfaces which inthe aggregate produce a smooth back portion for the tile and prevent catching and breaking of the reduced edges.

2. A tile comprising a body having a uniform thickness throughout its entire area and provided at the back with a plurality of. key projections extending fully throughout the length thereof from end to end and between fiat side flanges, the key projections having pockets formed between them and each key projection converging from a maximum base portion in curved hnes to a sharp free edge which overhangs and extends inwardly to the adjacent pocket and serves to draw the plastic holding material into and fully till the pocket and to act. as a hooklike securing means to prevent loosening of the tile when the plastic holding material hardens and contracts.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH R. MILLER. ULYSSES S. HUGGINS. Witnesses:

C. B. MAGEE, STEPHEN J ones. 

